Lewa safari camp June 2015 life does not get any better

[penolva]

Great to hear that your return to Lew lived up to your expectations. Very lucky to have a private vehicle for your entire visit. Can you provide more details on how to arrange the visit to see the orphaned rhinos?[/quote

Ditto from me that sounds a great opportunity! Will the ones that are not blind be released one day? pen

[Super LEEDS]

@COSMIC RHINIO

 

CR - come on now, old chap, you can't keep posting these TRs of wonderful experiences and places without uploading pics. If you can spend large amounts of time at places like Lewa then you can spend a little on a cheap netbook or equivalent to show us the views!

[pault]

Don't wear flip flops when visiting the baby rhinos! Sound and Classic Cosmic Rhino advice.

 

Sacred ground!

 

Glad you enjoyed yourself and it's nice to know they have another fence down and that they are protecting the Grevy's Zebras. Will they allow greater lion numbers when the zebra numbers are great enough or are they going to dedicate themselves to natural breeding of rhinos and Grevy's? It's very interesting that they are doing this. Do you know how Grevy's flourished before? We're there historically very low lion densities in Northern Kenya?

[COSMIC RHINO]

1 Baby rhinos the visit is about 30 mins and is in addition to the game drive , the charge is USD 15 per person and booked through your camp.

 

Each camp is meant to have an allocated day, although another safari camp couple could be fitted in on another day

 

2 photos no plans for downloading yet or any time soon

 

I will be printing some for myself , does anyone know how to download PDF copies?

 

3 there is no mention of having more lions at Lewa .

 

4 Grevy's zebras are the desert adapted race , they have had problems with the fur trade and now have issues with traditional muiti practices

 

5 Isiolio international airport. the acting manager told me that the runway only is built, no terminals or hangers. It is to some extent based on the trade in the narcotic mirah, legal in Kenya but not elsewhere.

 

6 the other visitors there were not that many of them some asians, UK, USA, local people, an Australian travel agent with partner. I was not impressed when she gave out her card to a man from Hong Kong who was asking about leopards, contact me I can book you into Londolozi.

 

7 my guide tells me that locals tend to come on the weekend only, the accom activies package is discounted for them but not the reserve fees.

 

8 seeing so many rhinos close up was totally delightfull, being on the land of those who have cared for it for generations is something very special.

 

 

9 I was taken and shown Anna Merz's house but could not bring myself to get out there as I regard this as a site deserving extra special consideration. A Nthn Rangelands Trust manager now lives in it .

 

10 as mentioned before who understands teenagers they actually go on gamedrive listening to their ipod , updating facebook and twitter, at massive cost to their parents.

 

11 The typical visitor is booked in by a foreign travel agent , stays 2 or 3 nights , knows almost nothing about the place before they get there , and is a list ticker wanting to rush around the place take a few photos even if the animal has their head down, this does not apply to lions , they even want to linger when they are sleeping

Edited July 17, 2015 by COSMIC RHINO

[Atravelynn]

I have been thinking of mountain gorillas from time to time

 

well I know that this is out of the question

 

Lewa is at only 5,500 feet elevation

 

walking up from the hide to the tent 1 at a slight incline makes me feel umcomfortable

 

I keep time for the game drive by having a electronic timer with me, on one day there were some other visitors , they started to walk briskly when they heard my timer, I semi kept up with them and ended up feeling a bit pooped.

Maybe lowland gorillas instead?

[Atravelynn]

Love that term, 'Ferrari Safari'. Sums up that rushing around that some people like (not me!) so well.

Pleased to gear Lewa lived up to your hopes.

I recall your use of that term earlier, @@COSMIC RHINO. CR-speak.

[Super LEEDS]

Where are the pics, CR, for you to download them?

 

You can quite easily paste them into Microsoft Word and then hit Save As, choosing PDF as the format.

[COSMIC RHINO]

1 the earlier pictures are on SD card and selected images done with a Kodak print station, the latest ones are on SD card only

 

I will see what a PDF in my email does with copy and paste, but before I tried it to no avail

 

2 Ferrari Safari is a very appropriate them for those who want to rush around the place and take in little of anything.

 

It is not my term, I guide in South Africa introduced the term to me last year , he hates the thing and wants to be with people seeking to patiently observe the land and the animals.

 

My Lewa guide used it without any prompting , declaring "I do not do Ferrari safaris"

 

3 the list tickers (a term the same South African guide introduced me to and known to the Lewa guides ) tend not to come back.

 

They are persuing their bucket list , let's do Africa , rush around and see as many animals as fast as possible , except lions spending a bit of time with them

l

[COSMIC RHINO]

I had many lovely encounters with rhinos, it is especially good seeing the young ones.

 

I witness a mother suckling a baby rhino 2 days in a row.

 

I managed to remain calm around rhinos , trusting my guide in all things. The car had got stuck in a aardvark hole covered in grass, the guide got out to jack it out there are 3 white rhinos nearby. I continue photographing the rhinos , he asks me to get out of the car, I do so taking photos , I get back in and the trio largely did not change anything that they were doing.

[COSMIC RHINO]

after getting back from the afternoon game drive, I put my batteries on for charging , write up by journal , then go out onto the porch to take on the spirit of the bush as it is getting darker.

 

I turn of the 7 watt electric light and take in nature on her own terms.

 

Closer to the appointed dining time I go to the lounge .

 

the way things are do you walk to the tent with the askari , walk to the lounge alone if you wish , or with the askari if needed, and walk back from dinner with the askari, they greet you as soon as they see you moving.

 

for gamedrives you climb up the steps of the vehicle unaided , or use a wide set of wooden steps

 

Solo guests get to eat with the manager at Lewa Safari Camp, I talk about wildlife and things going on in Africa . I have had the same acting manager Lucy each time I have been there , he is very pleasant and friendly.

 

Safari camp has a new management team Sacha and his wife Tamlyn with their daughter Mischa who is 2 yrs old. They came from Zimbabwe , operating Little Makalolo camp in Hwange for many years, leaving when hyperinflation and being paid in $ZIM made things very difficult, they have moved around a bit Selous Game Reserve etc, they are very friendly and informative.

[COSMIC RHINO]

both grevy's zebras population around 3,000 and reticulated giraffe around 2,000 are desert adapted and were more common when Africa was drier

[COSMIC RHINO]

the selected picnic breakfast spot often involved some wildlife

 

there was a waterhole to look over in the distance

 

on another occasion there were giraffes nearby , then more of them in the distance , later elephants moved amongst them, thanks to high magnification zoom I could see them together

[COSMIC RHINO]

1 you must be a competent rider to do the horse riding trips

 

no one like me who has not done anything since pony rides as a kid

 

2 a cheaper option to get to Lewa could be the organised tours done by australian zookeepers and the association of american zookeepers in the offseason at discounted rates

 

3 ferrari safari is a real put down and I did not invent the term

 

one of my guides in sth africa used it for those who go in tour groups to imfolozi-huhluwe and rush around for everything except lions and wild dogs

 

if you really want to hurt yourself with tiredness you can even get a day turn from Durban which goes there and comes back on the same day

[offshorebirder]

Question for you @@COSMIC RHINO - is one allowed to do bush walks in Lewa, or are guests strictly confined to vehicles away from the camps/lodges?

[COSMIC RHINO]

hikes are fine, a Lewa conservasncy ranger is assigned to Lewa safri camp for this purpose

 

I just choose to do game drives as I will see more animals

 

the standard night rates includes your choice of drives or hikes

[COSMIC RHINO]

the camp is fenced

 

there is a resident dik dik couple, leopard tourtise and banded mongoose family

 

from time to time a female ostrich called mahatya visits, especially around the staff area. she is attracted to food waste and can eat anything of plant origin, including pinneaple tops

[COSMIC RHINO]

the strong emphasis was on rhinos

 

they were seen on every drive , together with elephants and grevy's zebras or reticulated giraffe

 

not all 4 were always seen ,if they were it was often with 2 hrs

 

rhinos were often the first animals found

[COSMIC RHINO]

the reserve has both black cotton soil and red ochre soil within shiort distances of each other

 

the place is wonderfull , the last drive has always been special and this was no exception , multiple rhino sitings , then the airline lived up to its alternative name of Safarilate

 

they were travelling with air kenya, I wonder about some people and their large suitcases when they had been told come with a small sportsbag

 

some people also had large wooden carvings wraped up in paper 2 meters long, I would have avoided them what if they did not fit in the plane, what will bagge handlers make of them ?

[Marks]

The emphasis on rhinos sounds ideal.

 

Hope you got the PDF problems sorted, as well.

[COSMIC RHINO]

my guide laban is great , his name means leader in the massai language

 

he has a degree in wildlife conservastion plus field training

 

he is very fit having done the Lewa half marathon once

 

this involves going over rough rocky paths and doing a hill climb

 

it is consistently listed amongst the world's most difficult physical challanges

 

being at 5500 ft makes it harder but he is aclimsed to it

 

He would like to do the half marathon more often but is involved taking gust who are running or watch to the event

[COSMIC RHINO]

at Lewa the guides report the location of the elephants to the reserve administration , who then imform Save the Elephants.

 

the last drive is always sad to be leaving , but they can be very good and this was no exception , and my intention is to return

 

it was great actually seeing baby rhinos suckling

 

this might sound a bit extreme but as I was getting on the return flight I thought if there is some freak crash life has been worth living

[COSMIC RHINO]

Grevy's zebras and reticulated giraffes are the very defination of elegance.

 

the appeal of rhinos partly comes from their ancient looks indicating that they have been around from beyond our times

[penolva]

at Lewa the guides report the location of the elephants to the reserve administration , who then imform Save the Elephants.the last drive is always sad to be leaving , but they can be very good and this was no exception , and my intention is to returnit was great actually seeing baby rhinos sucklingthis might sound a bit extreme but as I was getting on the return flight I thought if there is some freak crash life has been worth living

@ COSMIC RHINO not extreme at all. I always say if we have to crash let it be after the holiday on the way home. If it was on the way out I would be really cross! Pen

[COSMIC RHINO]

1 iI left behind the small backpack lnormally take, but got by using a small parcel sack to take jacets in and out of, keep spare batteries, sunscreen etc

 

2 they even did the special bush breakfast on 1 day for a single person complete with folding table , chair and fresh cooked omlet

 

3 they use open top land cruisers with a light canvas top with keeps away some of the branchs and cold air

[COSMIC RHINO]

Lewa cvonservancy began for conservation , it is not tourism lead

 

Lewa safari camp is comfortable with people like me who treat the camp as detail and the bush experience as principle

 

they believe in taking good care of those who spend reasonable periods of time there